Typewriting-machine



. H. H. RIGGS..

TYPEWRITING MACHINE. APPLlcATloN man Novlza, 1917.

Patented July 12, 192,1.

MMM

H. H. R-IGGS.

TYPEWRI'TING MACHINE. APPLlcATloN FILED Nov. 23, |917.

1,384,407. Patented July 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES HENRY H. RIGGS, OF HARPOOT, TURKEY.

' 'rsrrniimimillas-limCHINE.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, HENRY HARRISON Rises, a ycitizen of the United States, resident in Harpoot, Turkey, have invented a new and useful TypeWriting-Machine, of which the following is a specification.:

My invention relates to typewriting machines, and its object is to provide a writing machine which is at once durable, easy of operation and extremely compact and portable. I attain this object bythe device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:- Y

Figure 1 is a general plan view of the entire machine. Fig. 2 is an end view, viewed from the right hand `endof the machine. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of the typearms at the right hand end of the machine, viewed from the rear-left. Fig; 4 is a perspe'ctive view of the swinging frame. ig. 5 is a vertical section through one of the keys and the adjacent parts; Fig. 6 shows one side member of one of the type-arms, viewed from the rear, the rest of the typearm and the type-head being removed. Fig. 7 shows the action of the keys on the swinging member. Figs. 8 and 9 show modifications of the same. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevation of the modification shown in plan in Fig. 9.

The paper-carriage, with its paper-feed, spacing and shifting mechanisms, also the ribbon or other inking device, as well as other accessories, maybe of any convenient form. As these form no part of the presentV invention, these details are omitted from all the views for the sake of clearness. Gnly the paper-roll, and the shift and space keys, are shown in their'proper positions. Y

Similar reference numbers refer to similar parts throughout the several views. As the machine is in the main symmetrical, in Fig. 1 only the parts on the right hand are given reference numbers, but it is understood that numbers and descriptions apply equally to 'corresponding parts on the left. Parts which are duplicates of each other in form and function are given identical numbers, and where these need occasionally to be distinguished, it is done by one or more indices, as 3, 3', 3".

The machine is built upon a rectangular frame, 1, 2, 3, composed of a rear bar, 1, and two side bars, 2, allof solid and heavy con- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1921.

Application led November 23, 1917. Serial No. 203,540.

struction, with three longitudinal bars, 3, 3, 3, of trough shape. (See Fig. 5.) These parts areall solidly welded or-otherwise fastened together to make one rigid piece. The frame is provided with legs, 4, which can be folded up for portability.

The paper-roll 5 is suitably mounted at the rear of this frame, which is recessed to 1pnarmit of placing the roll as low as possie. The posts 6 rigidly fixed to the frame, carry on their upper ends the horizontal plates, 7, which arethus `held just over the paper-roll, 5. On these plates, mounted on suitable bearings, 8, are the type-arms, 9, 9', 9.. Each of these typev arms is of inverted U-shape, formed of strip metal, the cross member, 10, beingat the side ofthe two longitudinal members, as shown. In the bend of the U is mounted a type head, 11. The wheel, or prism, has five faces, on each of which are three characters, the uppercase, lower-case and figure corresponding to one of the keys of the keyboard, Figs. 1 and 3. The type head 11 has an arbor, 12, which turns in suitable bearings in the sides of the type-arm. A stop arm 36 prevents the type arms from swinging back` too far. This stop-arm is hinged near the base to permit of folding it down over'the'type arms when the latter are laid down over the paper-roll when desired. The type-arms 9` are. so placed that when swung down about the bearings 8 the type heads lliwill strike/the paper. roll 5 `at theprinting point. `When the paper roll is in its median position, the lower case character, which is the central one of the three characters on one face of the type head, will strike the paperproll. When the paper roll` is shifted forward or backward by suitableshifting mechanism, the capital or ligure will strike the roll.

At a oint relatively near the bearing 8 is a pro]ection or lug, 13, on the type arm, into which is hooked the link 14. The lower end of the link 14 is attached to the lever 15, which turns about a'horizontal bearing 39, (see Fig. 2) at the rear of the machine, so that when the lever 15 is depressed the type-arm 9 is drawn downward till thetype head 11 strikes the paper roll. The spring 41 normally holds the lever 15 up, `and returns the type arm 9 to the vertical position after a stroke. i

The key 16, Figs. 2, 5, is mounted on the end of.:V the rod 17, which slides freely, in holes drilled vertically through the upper and lower members of thetrough-shaped Under theV key- 16 and resting against the rods 17, are vbars 18, 18', 18.'

bars 3.

Five keys rest on each bar. VFach bar 18 has `two arms 19 connecting it with the two` extremitiesof the lever 15 as shown at 19,y

of the bars 3, of the main frame of the may the middle of one of the bars 18, when de-V Y chine, Fig. 5. The rame21issuspended on hangers, 23, hung from the posts 24, so that the frame'is freetomove longitudinally. `VThe plates 22 are slotted with slots shaped like the letter Y. Each of these slotsis located approximately behind one of the vertical rods 17 of one ofthe keys.A A pin 25 projects horizontally from the rod 17. When the key is depressed this pin25 impinges against one side of the slot, (see Fig. 7, dotted lines,) thus moving the entire frame 21 to one side until the pin 25 reaches the foot vofthe slot, (see Fig. 7, solid lines) when the frame is in fixed position corresponding to that particular key.

Plates, 34, are fixedto'the bar-s 3 in such, fa position that, the plates 22 slide between theplates 34 vand the lower edge of the bars 3. Exactly opposite to the rod 17 of each key a vertical slot is cut in the plate 34. IThe end of the pin25 projects throughthe slot in the plateV 34. The slot thus serves as a guide for the pin 25, and at vthe same time the plate 34. serves as a guide for the plate 22. Y

. The slots are so located in the plate 22 that when any key is depressed the frame 21 takesV one of five positions. The key over pressed, causes the frame to remain in its median position.. The keys immediately to the right and left ofl the center of the bar move the frame one space to the right or left, while the keys over the-ends of the bar 18 move the frame twice as far toward the right or left. These movements are identi-V cal. for each of the sets of keys over each a toggle bar 35, Fig. 8. In thiszcase the tog- 'furthersimplified vby dispensing with the plates 22'/` and 22", leaving only 22. Levers 37, Fig. 9, are placed under the lower eX-V tremities of the key rod-s 17 The lever 37 is pivoted in the bars 3 and 3". The pin 25, instead of proj ecting from the rods 17, projects in this case from the lever 37, (see Fig. 9,)yso that the depression of any one of the keys over one Vlever 37 depresses the lever, and thus'affects the frame 21 by the pin 25 entering the slot inthe plate 22, or depressing the toggle barV 35 it the arrangement shown in Fig. 8 is used in conjunction with that in Fig. 9. The effect in either or' the above modifications Vis the same Vas the efect, as originally described, namely, that with the depression of any key the frame 21 takes one .of the tive predetermined positions according to which ofthe five keys .overone p Vof? the bars 18 is depressed.

At the end of the bars 26 are the cross-bars 27, each bearing three lugs, which, when the frame 21 is in its median position, stand eX- actly opposite to the bearings 8, at the foot of the type arms 9. A link, 28, is fitted at one end into a bearing in each of the lugs on the crossbar 27 and at the other end into a bearing in the .quadrant 29, which is mounted near to the upper end of thecorresponding type-arm, see-Figs. 1, 3, 6. This quadrant bears on its circumference gear teeth which mesh with ba small gearswheel 30, of five teeth, mounted on the arbor 12.

When a key is depressed, and the typearm descends, if the frame 21 remains in the median position, the link 28, pivoted in one of the lugs on the cross-bar 27 turns concentrically with the type-arm, and so, does not change the position of the quadrant 29. But if the frame 21 is pushed tothe left or right, the bearing of the link 28 vbeing moved to one side, that link moves eccentrically with reference to the type-arm, and therefore pushes or pulls'the quadrant out of its median position, thus revolving the gearwheel 30, and with it the type head 11, to, one side or the other. The amount of the motion of the frame 21 is so proportioned to the gearing 28 land 30 that each of the five fixed positions Aof the frame 21 brings one of the five faces of the type head into the printing position'.

`Lost motionin the'gears 28 and 30 and` flexibility of the frame 21 may cause the" type head.y 11 toturn inaccurately, so that,

the letters will not print squarely.` To correctthis error a lever 31, Fig. 6, is mounted on the type-arm 9, with its extremity immediately adj acentto the gear-wheel 30. A tooth, 32, at the end of this lever, is adapted to enter between two teeth :of the gear 30. As the type arm 9. descends, the lower end of the leverl strikes a stop 33, Figs. 1 and 3, driving the tooth 32 rmly against the gear wheel 30 thus positively locking the type head 11 in the correct printing position.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the live keys resting on one of the bars 18 constitute a horizontal group, either of which, if depressed causes the same corresponding type-arm 9 to descend. (The keys on the bar 18 affect type-arm 9', etc.) Each one of these tive keys determines a different position of the frame 21, and hence of the type head 11. Thus any one of the keys H J K' L &, if depressed, will bring down the type arm 9', whose type head 11 bears on its five faces these five characters. When the central key K is depressed the type head is not turned, and K is printed. yW'hen J is struck, the type head 11 turns one fth to the right, which brings J into the printing position, etc.

All those keys which, when depressed, have identically the same effect on the frame 21 may be regarded as constituting a verti- -cal group. For example, the keys W-S- X--U-J-M are such a group, any one of which moves the frame one space to the left, while any one of the group Q-A-Z-Y- H-N moves the frame two spaces to the left, etc. It is evident from the arrangement described above that each horizontal group includes one key from each of the vertical groups, and vice versa.

It is obvious that the particular form of various parts, such as the number of characters on the type heads, and their particular form and distribution, the form and position of the type-arms, and various other details ci structure, might be considerably modified without fundamentally changing my invention. Therefore while the means by which I apply the general principle are new and original, the fundamental elements of my invention are independent of the details.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a typewriting machine, a group of keys, a plurality of type arms each carrying a type head, means by which each type arm is operated identically by any one of a group` of keys, and means by which the corresponding type head is rotated identically by any one of another group of keys, said two groups of keys having one key in common.

2. In a typewriting machine, a plurality of type arms each carrying a type head, a movable member independent of the type arms, `and `links 4permanently connectingsaid movable member with all of the type heads.

`3. Ina typewriting machine, a type armk carrying a type head, a gear wheel rotating with thek typehead, a gear segment meshing with the gear wheel, a member independent of said type arm, anda link connecting `said 5. In a typewriting machine, finger keys,y

a plurality of rotatable type heads, and a movable member connected with all the type heads and determining their rotation, said movable member being actuated by any one of said keys. i

6. In a typewriting machine, a plurality of type heads, a movablemember connected with each of the type heads and determinin their rotation, and links connecting said type heads to said moving members, said links being at right angles to the line of motion of said moving members when the type heads are in their normal resting position.

7. In a typewriting machine, a plurality of type arms each carrying a type head, iinger keys, means operated by the keys to depress the type arms, and means also operated by the keys to rotate the type heads through a varying arc of motion determined by the key which is depressed.

8. In a typewriting machine, aplurality of type arms each carrying a type head, a bar connected with each type arm, and keys having broad heads, va group of said heads resting on each of said bars.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a plurality of pivoted type arms each of which carries a rotatable type head,

`keys for depressing said type arms, levers operated-from said keys, a movable frame, and links connecting said levers with said frame.

10. In a typewriting machine, a plurality of type arms each carrying a rotatable type head, a movable member independent of the type arms and controlling the rotation of the type heads, and means whereby the movable member is moved during the movement of any type arm and fixed before the end of said movement of any type arm.

11. In a typewriting machine, a plurality of type arms, a rotatable type` head carried on each type arm, mechanism for rotating each type head, keys acting to depress the type arms, a frame also acted upon by the keys, and links attached to the frame and to said mechanism, so that movement of the frame operates through the links and the rotating mechanism to rotate the type.

12; `A typewriting `machine having Y type ing the type ai'm- With one of the said bars, arms provided `with type heads, keys arwhereby the depression 0f the bar actuates ranged in parallel, longituilinal` rows, a bar 'the typ'earm. Y 'extending longitudinally under all of the 7 HENRY H. RIGrGrS.V

5 lkey heads in each longitudinal row, whereby Witnesses :v i

the depression of any one key in the row de- R. A. PARMELEE, pi'esses the said bar, and mechanisnrconnect;-y M'YRTLE O. SANE. 

